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Biomedical subjects

T Azuma

Publications and source records attributed to T Azuma.

At least 523 records · Page 29Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

Gender differences in language of Alzheimer disease patients revisited.

Results of recent investigations suggest that Alzheimer disease (AD) has a more deleterious effect on language in women than in men. This intriguing finding motivated an analysis of the language performance of probable AD patients, equally divided as to gender, on a variety of language comprehension and production tests. Cross-sectional data were available for 63 probable AD subjects and longitudinal data were available for 26. In addition to analysis of covariance used with the cross-sectional data, effect sizes were calculated. The longitudinal data were analyzed with repeated-measures analyses of covariance. The sum of scores on the orientation items of the Mini-Mental State Examination was used as the covariate in both analyses. No significant differences between the performance scores of male and female subjects were obtained for either the cross-sectional or longitudinal data. All effect sizes of gender were relatively small, with female patients outperforming males on most language tests. Results are discussed in the context of previous findings and comparison of the effect sizes among studies.

Alzheimer Disease↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Comparison of the vascular effects of adenosine, AMP, ADP and ATP on isolated blood-perfused internal and external carotid arteries of dogs.

1. The effects of adenosine and adenine nucleotides were studied on arterial vasculature in blood-perfused arterial preparations of dogs which were isolated from the internal and external carotid arteries. Each compound was administered directly into the cannulated artery over a period of 4 s. 2. In both arterial preparations, adenosine produced a dose-related vasodilatation and was more potent than AMP. On the other hand, ATP produced a dose-related vasoconstriction and was more potent than ADP.

Adenine Nucleotides↗
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Carboxyl terminal glycine extended progastrin (gastrin-G) in gastric antral mucosa of patients with gastric or duodenal ulcer and in gastrinomas.

Recently, carboxyl terminal glycine extended progastrin (gastrin-G), the immediate biosynthetic precursor of amidated gastrin, was found in human gastric antral mucosa. To investigate in pathophysiological conditions, we examined gastrin and gastrin-G levels and their molecular forms in gastric antral mucosa of healthy controls and patients with gastric or duodenal ulcer and in gastrinomas. There were no significant differences between controls and gastric or duodenal ulcer patients in antral gastrin and gastrin-G levels, the ratio of gastrin-G to gastrin and the pattern of their molecular forms. In contrast, gastrin and gastrin-G levels and the ratio of gastrin-G to gastrin in gastrinomas were much higher than those in antral mucosa of controls or ulcer patients. The predominant molecular form of gastrin-G was different between two Zollinger-Ellison syndrome (ZES) cases. These results suggest that there are no significant differences between healthy controls and patients with gastric or duodenal ulcer in the nature of gastrin amidation, and that the nature of gastrin amination in gastrinomas is different from that in normal gastrointestinal tissues.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Genetic heterogeneity of combined gastric and duodenal ulcers detected by pepsinogen C gene polymorphism.

It has been reported recently that there was genetic heterogeneity in gastric ulcer disease depending upon the location of the ulcer, and that there was a significant association between the restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) for pepsinogen C (PGC) gene and gastric body ulcer. In the present study, the association of the RFLP for PGC gene with combined gastric and duodenal ulcers was investigated to analyse genetic factors in its aetiology. Eighty unrelated controls and 47 patients with combined gastric and duodenal ulcers were studied. The allele frequencies of the large (3.6 kilobase EcoRI fragment) and the small fragment (3.5 kilobase EcoRI fragment) were, respectively 80.6 and 19.4% in controls, 60.0 and 40.0% in patients with combined gastric body and duodenal ulcers, 69.0 and 31.0% in patients with combined gastric angular and duodenal ulcers, and 81.8 and 18.2% in patients with combined gastric antral and duodenal ulcers. The allele frequency of the small fragment was significantly higher in patients with combined gastric body and duodenal ulcers than in controls. The genotypes that possessed the small fragment were significantly more frequent in patients with combined gastric body and duodenal ulcers (66.7%) than in controls (33.8%) and combined gastric antral and duodenal ulcers (27.3%). These results suggest that there is genetic heterogeneity in combined gastric and duodenal ulcers depending upon the location of gastric ulcer, and that combined gastric body and duodenal ulcers are associated with the small fragment allele of the PGC RFLP in the same way as solitary gastric body ulcers.

Blotting, Southern↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Point mutations in the c-K-ras 2 gene in multiple colorectal carcinomas.

The c-K-ras 2 gene mutations were examined in colorectal tumours from patients with synchronous or metachronous tumours in order to investigate tumorigenesis. Sixty-seven colorectal carcinomas from patients with a single lesion, 50 from patients with synchronous lesions, and 12 from patients with metachronous lesions were analysed for the presence of point mutations in codons 12 and 13 of c-K-ras proto-oncogene. In the patients with metachronous or synchronous lesions, the finding of the mutation in one tumour was not associated with a greater frequency of the mutation in other carcinomas from the same patient. In the patients with tumours that each contained the mutation, the mutations were not always the same. In tumours from the patients with original and synchronous lesions, the mutation frequency was significantly lower in advanced carcinomas invading through the entire muscularis propria (10.5%) than in early carcinomas confined to the mucosa (47.8%), and the mutation frequency in carcinomas invading through the entire muscularis propria was significantly lower in patients with synchronous lesions (10.5%) than in patients with a single lesion (37.7%). These results suggest that the tumorigenesis of colorectal carcinomas from patients with synchronous lesions is different from that in patients with a single lesion.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Influence of glucose infusion on levels of phosphomonoesters and adenosine triphosphate as detected by magnetic resonance spectroscopy in a new model of core-cooling of the rat liver in situ.

This preliminary study was undertaken to ascertain whether our newly developed model of the cold ischemic rat liver in situ is applicable to studies designed to assess the metabolism of nutrients. Ischemia of the whole liver of 12 Wistar rats was induced by clamping all supply and drainage vessels. The ischemic liver was perfused in situ. The duration of ischemia of the liver was 20 minutes. Saline was infused into six rats throughout the experiment (group A). An intravenous infusion of glucose at a rate of 0.75 g/h per rat was begun immediately after the induction of blood-reflow to the liver (group B, n = 6). Six rats (group C) did not undergo the procedure for induction of hepatic ischemia and received glucose at the same rate as rats in group B. Changes in hepatic levels of sugar phosphates (phosphomonoesters [PMEs]), inorganic phosphorus, and beta-positioned phosphorus in adenosine triphosphate (beta-ATP) were monitored by 31P magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Ischemia caused a significant increase in levels of PMEs and a decrease in levels of beta-ATP. The infusion of glucose caused a further increase in levels of PMEs and a further decrease in levels of beta-ATP in group B. In contrast, in group C such infusion did not induce any changes in levels of PMEs or beta-ATP. In group A, PMEs and beta-ATP returned to basal levels 5 hours after the induction of blood-reflow to the liver. The changes in levels of PMEs were similar to those in levels of inorganic phosphorus in all groups.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adenosine Triphosphate↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Detection of Grb-2-related adaptor protein gene (GRAP) and peptide molecule in salivary glands of MRL/lpr mice and patients with Sjögren's syndrome.

The pathogenesis of Sjögren's syndrome (SS) is poorly understood. In this study we used an in-house mouse spleen cDNA microarray to analyse genes in spleens from MRL/lpr (an SS mouse model) mice. We have previously demonstrated that GRAP genes were up-regulated in salivary glands of the same mice. The microarray analysis showed that seven out of 2304 genes were highly expressed in spleens from the MRL/lpr mice, one of which was the GRAP gene. In other words, the GRAP gene is highly expressed in the salivary glands and spleen of MRL/lpr mice. We also carried out immunohistochemical studies. Mouse and human Grb-2-related adaptor protein (GRAP) antigens were expressed on ductal cells and infiltrating lymphocytes in salivary glands of MRL/lpr mice and SS patients, but only weakly in controls (MRL/+ mice and individuals with salivary cysts). These results suggest that the GRAP gene might have a role in the pathogenesis of SS.

Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Successful pregnancy and delivery in a patient with neurogenic orthostatic hypotension and achalasia: a case report.

A successful pregnancy and delivery in a patient with neurogenic orthostatic hypotension and a past medical history of achalasia is described. Surprisingly, she was free from orthostatic hypotension during the last trimester, though the evaluation of adrenergic function by measurements of changes in plasma norepinephrine on standing and by the response of blood pressure to infused norepinephrine revealed no difference between function before pregnancy and that during the last trimester. Orthostatic hypotension started again just after delivery.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The significance of measuring the serum total bile acids levels during orthotopic liver transplantation.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Bile acid is confined to the enterohepatic circulation and consists of intestinal absorption and hepatic elimination. We investigated whether measuring the serum total bile acids (TBA) levels was useful for both evaluating the function of the grafted liver and predicting the outcome in porcine orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT). METHODOLOGY: Twenty-two female Yorkshire pigs undergoing OLT were divided into 2 groups as follows: Group A consisted of 11 pigs which survived over 7 days with an uneventful early post-operative course, while Group B consisted of 11 pigs which died within 5 days due to hepatic failure. The serum TBA levels were measured before and after reperfusion in the recipients. RESULTS: Between Groups A and B, no significant difference was observed in the operative backgrounds including the operation time as well as the cold and warm ischemic time. In Group A, the levels of serum TBA rapidly increased during the anhepatic phase, and thereafter promptly decreased after the reperfusion of the grafted liver. A significant difference was observed in the levels of serum TBA before and after reperfusion (p < 0.01), whereas no significant difference was seen in Group B. The delta TBA, which represents the difference in the levels of serum TBA between just prior to reperfusion and 10 min after reperfusion, was 71.8 +/- 43.5 mumol/L in Group A and 20.1 +/- 34.5 mumol/L in Group B, and demonstrated a significant difference between these 2 groups (p < 0.01). On the other hand, no significant differences were seen in the levels of serum AST, ALT, ALP and TB at each time point between Groups A and B. CONCLUSIONS: The level of serum TBA was found to be a more sensitive parameter and also reflected the developing grafted liver function earlier than the conventional parameters for liver function. Moreover, delta TBA thus appeared to be a valuable predictor for the post-operative outcome.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Transcatheter arterial embolization for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma resulting in a curative resection: report of two cases.

Transcatheter hepatic arterial embolization and lipiodolization have been reported to be effective palliative treatments for patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma. We experienced 2 patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma which were initially considered to be unresectable due to the extreme extension of the primary lesions. Therefore, transcatheter hepatic arterial embolization with lipiodolization were selected as the treatments of choice. Thereafter, these tumors markedly decreased in size and, as a result, curative resections could subsequently be performed. The pathological examination of the resected specimens revealed necrosis and hyaline degeneration in the main tumors. Viable tumor cells, however, still remained adjacent to the main tumors. Such evidence indicated the limited efficacy of transcatheter hepatic arterial embolization with lipiodolization and the necessity of performing surgical treatment in combination with transcatheter hepatic arterial embolization with lipiodolization. Based on these findings, transcatheter hepatic arterial embolization with lipiodolization both appear to be a good mode of therapy for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma, and in selected patients, subsequent surgery can also be considered.

Antineoplastic Agents↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Inhibitory effects of safe and novel SOD derivatives, galactosylated-SOD, on hepatic warm ischemia/reperfusion injury in pigs.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Oxygen-derived free radicals such as superoxide play an important role in ischemia/reperfusion (IR) injury during and after extensive liver surgery or liver transplantation. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) has protective effects against hepatic IR injury. The effect of native SOD is, however, limited because of rapid elimination from the blood circulation and poor affinity for liver cells. It was reported by our collaborators that a SOD derivative modified with galactose (Gal-SOD) was selectively delivered well to hepatocytes by direct attachment to galactose receptors. In the present study, the efficacy of this agent for attenuating hepatic warm IR injury was investigated using the pig model. METHODOLOGY: After 45-min clamping of the hepatic artery and portal vein, pigs were divided into 3 groups according to the following treatments. Ten milliliters of normal saline in Group 1 (n=5), 10,000 units/kg of native SOD in Group 2 (n=5) and 10,000 units/kg of Gal-SOD in Group 3 (n=5) were given just prior to hepatic reperfusion. Liver function including clearance of total bile acid (TBA) and hyaluronic acid (HA) was investigated. Lipid peroxidase of the liver tissue (LPO) and histological findings were examined. In addition, survival rates of the pigs in each group were evaluated. RESULTS: The survival rates at the 7th day after the operation were 60%, 80%, 100% in Groups 1, 2 and 3, respectively. Liver function tests, clearance of TBA and HA, and LPO levels were significantly improved in Groups 3 over findings in Groups 1 and 2. Congestion of hepatic tissues and vacuolization of hepatocytes in Group 3 were less than those in Groups 1 and 2. These results suggested that oxygen-derived free radicals were scavenged by Gal-SOD and IR injury was attenuated. CONCLUSIONS: A safe and novel agent, Gal-SOD has a protective effect against hepatic warm IR injury.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Capacity of high-density lipoprotein for donating apolipoproteins to fat particles in hypertriglyceridemia induced by fat infusion.

Acquisition of apolipoproteins C-II (apoCII) and C-III (apoCIII) is essential for the regulation of intravascular metabolism of fat particles (exoTG). This study was undertaken to investigate whether the capacity of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) for donating apoCII and apoCIII is influenced by the concentration of triglycerides (TGs) in plasma. A fat emulsion was infused into six male volunteers at a rate of 0.5 g TG.kg-1.h-1 (priming dose) for 30 min. For the following 160 min, fat was infused a fat emulsion was infused into the same subjects at a rate of 0.3 g.kg-1.h-1 for 160 min after the administration of the priming dose of fat emulsion for 30 min (experiment 2). The plasma TG concentrations and the amounts of apoCII and apoCIII in exo TG and HDL were monitored. The concentration of TG in the plasma stabilized at approximately 500 mg/dl in experiment 1, whereas it continued to increase to 815 +/- 42 mg/dl at 160 min after the start of the infusion of the fat emulsion in experiment 2. In experiment 1, the amount of both apoCII and apoCIII began to increase in exoTG and to decrease in HDL after the initiation of fat infusion. These changes in the distribution of apoC stabilized while the TG concentration remained at a plateau value. However, in experiment 2, the amount of apoC in exoTG did not increase further in response to the additional rise in plasma TG level. These results suggest that there is a relative lack of apoC that can be donated by HDL, depending on the quantitative balance between exoTG and HDL.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Inhibitory effects of exogenous insulin on oxidative utilization of glucose in septic rats.

The influence of exogenous insulin on oxidation of U-14C-glucose was investigated by monitoring the production of 14CO2 in septic rats. Ten Wistar rats underwent ligation of the distal third of the caecum and the ligated caecum was punctured with a 21-G needle (septic rats: group S). A group of ten rats was not subjected to these procedures (control rats: group C). Both groups received parenteral nutrition (PN) for the subsequent 27 hours. Non-protein nutrients were provided exclusively as glucose. Five rats in each group received insulin at a rate of 0.64 U/kg/hr for the last six hours of PN, and these rats were designated groups CI and SI. At the 21st hour of PN, 1.563 muCi of U-14C-glucose was injected as a bolus, and the production of 14CO2 was measured. The cumulative production of 14CO2 for the subsequent six hours, given as a percentage of the 14C injected, was 78.22 +/- 6.22% in group C, 86.16 +/- 4.23% in group CI, 62.38 +/- 13.00% in group S, and 54.38 +/- 6.89% in group SI. The elevated levels of blood glucose in rats in group S were reduced by the administration of insulin. These results indicate that the reduction of elevated blood glucose levels by exogenous insulin in the septic rats with antecedent hyperinsulinemia does not reflect an increase in the oxidative utilization of glucose but rather inhibition of the oxidation of glucose.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

T1 and T2 measurements of meningiomas and neuromas before and after Gd-DTPA.

Seven patients with meningiomas and five patients with neuromas were examined with spin-echo sequences on a 0.35-T imaging system. Signal enhancement and relaxation rate increments with gadolinium-diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid (Gd-DTPA) were evaluated, as well as relaxation rate contributions, indicators of Gd-DTPA accessibility to the tissue water. The average signal enhancement rate with Gd-DTPA was higher in neuromas than in meningiomas, 148% and 84%, respectively, but this difference was poorly appreciated on enhanced images because of similar average postcontrast T1 values in both tumors. However, the average T1 relaxation increment was almost twofold higher in neuromas than in meningiomas, 318% and 162%, respectively, mainly deriving from longer intrinsic T1 values in neuromas. Also, there was a 25% increase in the average T2 relaxation rate in neuromas after Gd-DTPA together with a higher T2 contribution by Gd-DTPA, while such effects were hardly discernible in meningiomas, suggestive of greater accessibility of Gd-DTPA to the tissue water in neuromas. By electron microscopy, endothelial fenestration and open gap junctions are commonly found in capillaries of both tumors, functioning as the routes into the extracellular space where the major contrast effect of Gd-DTPA can be expected. However, the open gap junctions are short and straight in neuromas, while they are tortuous and sinusoid in meningiomas. This may provide greater access for contrast material into relatively larger extracellular spaces in neuromas and may cause a greater T1 relaxation rate increment with Gd-DTPA.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Prevention of suppression of alloreactive capacity following intravenous injection of neuraminidase-treated allogeneic cells by co-injection of agents competing for asialoglycoprotein receptor.

Intravenous (i.v.) administration of neuraminidase (Nase)-treated allogeneic lymphocytes resulted in the complete abrogation of the capacity to develop delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) responses to the relevant alloantigens (tolerance induction). The Nase treatment did not influence the antigenicity of allogeneic lymphocytes, as subcutaneous inoculation of Nase-treated cells was capable of generating comparable anti-allo-DTH responses to those induced by untreated allogeneic cells. However, Nase-treated lymphocytes were revealed to exhibit strikingly enhanced reactivity to the lectin peanut agglutinin (PNA) as well as adhesion to hepatocytes in the primary culture. Such enhanced PNA-reactivity was inhibited by lactose but not by maltose, and enhanced hepatocyte-adhesion was also inhibited by N-acetyl-galactosamine (GalNAc) but not by N-acetyl-glucosamine (GlcNAc), indicating augmented reactivity of Nase-treated cells to Gal/GalNAc-specific receptors on hepatocytes. It was also demonstrated that i.v. infusion of Nase-treated, 51Cr-labeled lymphocytes leads to an increased radioactivity in the liver and that this enhanced retention of radioactivity can be inhibited by the co-injection of Nase-treated, unlabeled syngeneic erythrocytes. Most importantly, the co-injection of Nase-treated allogeneic lymphocytes and Nase-treated erythrocytes resulted in the prevention of the suppression of anti-allo-DTH responses as induced by the injection of Nase-treated allogeneic cells alone. These results indicate that Nase-treated allogeneic cells are entrapped in the liver in a strikingly increased way through their enhanced reactivity to Gal/GAlNAc receptor of the liver and suggest that such enhanced entrapment by the liver has a crucial role in inducing anti-allo-DTH tolerance.

Animals↗